Hudson: Let’s not get into ‘heard’ mentality

Thursday

Can’t we show a little humor when it comes to our differences, share a laugh, admit how we all take ourselves way, way too seriously?

“Beware the self-righteous man, for he will destroy the world many times over before he sees his folly.”

— Stewart Stafford, author

Have you heard? A border wall is absolutely immoral. Really. That truth is totally true, is cut and dried, at least according to this righteous claim made by one of our political parties in the midst of the recent tantrum over government funding. That’s the fight between folks who try and pass themselves off as actually being in charge of our nation these days. It must be great to be so sure of one’s self, of one’s opinion, so convicted, and to also make sure that everybody knows just how correct you are.

Have you heard? Thousands of criminals and gang members and drug dealers are just pouring over the border between Mexico and the United States. Really. So many in fact, that it is a national emergency! Wow. That claim was made by the other political party. That truth is true, as true as true can be, apparently, even though this assertion might not be backed up by anything as inconvenient as “facts” or statistics or reality. But hey: when you are right, you are right. Right?

Have you heard? If you don’t believe in God a certain way, if you go to this house of worship instead of that one, if you pray the wrong words or profess incorrect beliefs, you are going straight to H-E-double hockey sticks! Seriously. God told me! Now if you are willing to believe absolutely everything that I totally believe, then maybe you can get on the train straight to heaven. But if not? Going down?

Have you heard? I read on Facebook or maybe Twitter (now I’m not so sure) that a certain person — you know who I’m talking about — they are positively guilty of, of...? I forget. But whatever they did, man, I heard it was awful! Ban them! Judge them! Call them names! Shame them. Because if someone in social media says that someone else is a bad person, that must be true. It’s not like folks pass judgment on someone’s guilt or innocence before actually doing research or taking a second or two to think about it.

Have you heard? We are living in a golden age of self-righteousness, days when the most important thing is to be CORRECT and always righteous, and the more loudly, the more insistent, the more judgmental, the better. If you want to slam someone else, or put them down, or stand over them in righteous rage, there’s a public outlet for you. A news site that reports only what you want to hear. A Twitter feed that rips folks to shreds and reflects the absolute worst of human behavior. A pulpit to stand up in, condemn apostates because they dare to claim a higher power that does not line up with your religion.

As the poet William Butler Yeats wrote in “The Second Coming” about such chaotic and righteous times, “The best lack all conviction, while the worst, Are full of passionate intensity.” Sound familiar?

It’s not that we humans aren’t supposed to have opinions or somehow eschew moral or ethical convictions. We do need to know what matters most to us, and at times, to share where we stand with the rest of the world. I get that. I do it every week in this column.

But can’t we just do that with a little humility, recognizing that no one has all the answers or a lock on morality? It might feel good to righteously rise up, but are we absolutely sure that we are absolutely right, absolutely all the time? Come on.

Can’t we show a little humor when it comes to our differences, share a laugh, admit how we all take ourselves way, way too seriously? Get over yourself. I know I need to! Can’t we confess that when it comes to a subject like faith and religion, the truth is that at the end of all our assertions is ultimate mystery. God only knows.

Have you heard? A politician got up at a press conference and admitted that he was wrong and then apologized. A media pundit went on a TV show to debate another journalist and actually listened to her opponent, and had her mind changed by what another person said. A legislator reached across the aisle and asked a person from the other party to work together and then they did and then they compromised and then a bill was actually passed! A preacher preached that she does not have all the answers about God and so her congregation was blessed by that holy humility.

It all happened on the day we realized the folly and the danger of self-righteousness. I know that much is true. You?

The Rev. John F. Hudson is senior pastor of the Pilgrim Church, United Church of Christ, in Sherborn (pilgrimsherborn.org). If you have a word or idea you’d like defined in a future column or have comments, please send them to pastorjohn@pilgrimsherborn.org or in care of the Dover-Sherborn Press (Dover-Sherborn@wickedlocal.com).